I. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the gravity bending of glass sheets on a multiplicity of supports.
II. Description of Related Art
The gravity bending of glass sheets is well known. This bending may be carried out on a simple support, of the frame or skeleton type, the geometry of which does not vary during the bending. However, if it is desired to obtain particular, especially particularly pronounced, amounts of bending, it is useful to carry out the bending on supports whose geometry varies during bending. Thus, supports of the hinged skeleton type having two lateral parts that fold up during bending are known (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,286,980 or U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,689). Bending assemblies comprising two peripheral supports for the glass sheets in which one entirely substitutes for the other during bending are also known. Such assemblies have been described in EP 448 447 and EP 705 798. Finally, WO 2004/103922 teaches the successive use of two or three gravity bending supports. In general, on passing from one support to another, the concavity of the support increases, so that the concavity of the glass sheets progressively increases. These multiple supports are used in particular to prevent reverse bending (the opposite concavity to that desired) which may arise in the corners of the glazing.